WHAT YOU WISH FOR is a compelling, timely, and ultimately uplifting read about finding “joy” amid tragedy—filled with quirky characters and lots of heart. There is an ongoing theme about choosing “joy” on purpose. Not, despite life’s sorrows. But, because of them. What an excellent book for the times we are living.

Stay tuned for my unique fun and exciting Elevator Ride with the Author, coming July 14th. Learn all the behind the scenes exclusives from WHAT YOU WISH FOR and more about this talented Author.

If you are looking for a book that makes you smile, laugh out loud, and good for the soul— pick up any Katherine Center book. If you have not seen her book to movie, THE LOST HUSBAND, be sure and stream it now!

WHAT YOU WISH FOR has an extraordinary cast of characters with personality. Hoping for a movie based on this book as well!

Set on the historical island of Galveston, Texas, in an old Victorian building, there is an elementary school with a fun-loving and caring principal, Max. Everyone loved Max and his wife, Babette.

Samantha Casey’s life has not always been easy before moving to Galveston, where she began working as an elementary school librarian. Max and Babette became like her parents and rented a cottage from them. They were her role models.

After planning a big anniversary party for the couple, while having to fight against their not so nice daughter, Tina, a tragedy occurs. Max, now gone, has left everyone in the town shattered and grief-stricken.

The school receives the word they are getting a new principal, Duncan. (you may recall from her previous book). She is shocked. At her old school, he was the guy she had a mad crush on that did not return her feelings.

However, soon she learns the fun-loving, quirky guy she fell in love with is no more. He is quite the opposite. Plus, he does not even acknowledge her and acts as though they have never met.

Sam and Duncan seem to have switched places. She was the solemn one in the past, and he was the fun one. Now she wears all the quirky fun colors, and Duncan is a stick in the mud. He is strict and changing all the rules. He is taking away all their joy. Long gone is the fun, impulsive Duncan with the colorful ties and socks.

He is ruining their school. Sam must do something before he destroys all the work Max and Babette set in motion. However, things are not always as they seem. There is a story behind both Sam and Duncan. Each is guarding their private secrets. However, for them to truly get to know one another again, the walls must come down.

What a fantastic story! You will fall in love with little Clay. Fans of Mary Alice Monroe (protecting wildlife) will be assured to enjoy WHAT YOU WISH FOR.

Katherine is a master storyteller (with a special gift) who writes both humorous and bittersweet stories. Stories of falling and getting back up. Tragedy over triumph. She skillfully turns something tragic into something beautiful with humor and heartwarming characters.

Her characters must always learn a powerful lesson. At the same time, readers will receive a message which will resonate with them.

WHAT YOU WISH FOR is timely and perfect for each of us today in these uncertain and trying times. We all need an escape from the madness. Triumph over tragedy. Joy in the places we least expect. Katherine is assured to provide entertainment and a smile to brighten your day.

😎 Highly recommend!

#JDCMustReadBooks

A special thank you to St Martin's Press and Netgalley for an advanced reading copy.

Sam is a school librarian in Galveston TX, where she has found her place, somewhere she feels like she belongs. When the school principal suddenly passes, there is a hole ripped in their community and in Sam's heart. When his replacement is announced as a former coworker (and crush) of Sam's, she is nervous but also excited because she knows what a great teacher he was.

The Duncan that shows up to the school is not at all like the Duncan she knew before. He has a wall up around him and is obsessed with school safety, wanting to take away everything Sam and the other teachers love about their school. Will Sam run away like she usually does, or will she stand up for her life and her community?

The characters were relatable, I easily felt their pain and joy and became connected with them. They had interesting pasts, which added to your love for them and to your rooting for a happy ending for everyone. The characters are eccentric and loveable. The story actually hit some really big, serious issues, but was laced with humor and some powerful lessons. The main theme for the story was choosing joy, even when it's difficult.

"What You Wish For" by Katherine Center is a fun and entertaining book. It totally held my interest and made me laugh out loud and giggle several times. Who doesn't need that during these trying times in our country? If you want a book to get you out of your head, this should be your next read. You won't be disappointed.

There is some predictability to her story but, it is okay because the dialog, situations and the characters make up for it. The author made me love and care for her characters and what they were each dealing with in their lives. There were a few heavy subjects in the story but the way they were handled with empathy and humanity gave me hope.

I love a story that teaches me a few things and because the narrator was a librarian, there are some interesting things to learn. One of her friends was a math teacher and has a lot of cute little math jokes. So, I learned something new with this book.

Katherine Center is new author for me and I am excited to read more from her. If you haven't read any of her books yet, give her a try. You might find a new author to add to your list of favorites. I know I did!

I received a copy of this book from the publisher for a fair and honest review.

Confession: I read about 32% of the way into What You Wish For, stopped, read a handful of (non-spoiler) reviews, skipped ahead to about 47% and read a few pages, then went back to 32% to start reading again.

Why? This one was, for me—and a few others, it would seem—something of a slow starter. But once it picks up, it becomes an endearing, charming, funny, and heart-rending read. It's filled with the wit and joy that I loved in Katherine Center's Happiness for Beginners, currently the only other title of hers I have read. Though, rest assured, I will be reading all of her others after this.

My advice: if you find What You Wish For a little thick in the beginning—heavy on inner monologue, and with characters you aren't yet sure you can and will like—press on. (Or skip to about 47% *shrugs*.) It's well worth it. And, by the time the end rolls around, you will be overflowing with the joy we are encouraged to seek out by Ms. Center and her protagonists. You will love the characters and their quirks, the town and its community, the book and its early, slower pages. I know it did.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Samantha is a school librarian. She loves her job, her kids, and all that it entails. Until one day when a blast from the past in the form of a man named Duncan shows up and uproots all that she and her colleagues know.

Duncan brings with him the plan to change everything that everyone knows about the school in the form of rules and regulations.

This is unlike the Duncan that Sam remembers. What in his past has made him so hardened? As Sam and Duncan explore their lives together and apart, can he become the man that Sam once had feelings for?

This was an emotionally tragic book, but I really enjoyed and finished quickly!

This is a Netgalley ARC review. All opinions are solely my own.

What You Wish For by Katherine Center is a lovely book about love and family. It may not be the family that we're given that matters but the family we choose is just as important. This was not my favorite book by Katherine Center. It seemed a much slower moving book than I am used to from her. I can't say I fell for this book until I was about 80% finished. Then it just hit me!!

Samantha has retreated to Galveston in order to rebuild her life. Galveston provides her a security that she hasn't had before. It is all turned upside down when Duncan is hired as the new principal. Duncan and Sam have history and of course they each see it differently.

Duncan's entry into the story provides a sense of chaos related to his past experiences. When trying to reconcile who he was with who he is now he says, "I can't know what I know now and be who I was then." I was blown away by that statement.

"This is what it means to be fully alive. To feel it all--the joy and the sorrow--the hope and the fear. This is what life demands of us. You just have to stay, and try, and let life break your heart." The secondary characters really drive this point home. Alice, Babette, and Tina all live this principle. "Love is only for the brave."

Samantha Casey, school librarian carries childhood scars from a father that couldn't handle her epilepsy and abandoned her, She lives with the school's principal and his art teacher wife Max & Babette in their carriage house..
They have just returned from a last minute second honeymoon and it is the night of his 60th birthday party for which the town and school staff have generously donated decorations for the party.
Their daughter Tina does not like Samantha , she resents that her parents treat her like another daughter.,
At the party Max collapses and dies,
The school board appoints Duncan Carpenter .to be the new principal. Samantha remembers him from when she worked with him a few years ago and had a crush on him. She remembers him as a great teacher and being very humorous.
The Duncan Carpenter who arrives in town is not the same man He is a suit and tie wearing guy and a rule enforcer, He wants to make many changes at the school, which doesn't go well with the school staff.,
When he has to have minor surgery Samantha discovers what made Duncan change and she sets out to have him do one silly task daily, hoping to being him back to his old self.

When a dangerous situation occurs , he and Emily bond again and realize their feelings for each other
and decide to take a chance on happily ever after.

3.5 stars - TL;DR: Overall, I enjoyed this one. I read it in about 36 hours, but the last 40% was a bit harder to get into than the beginning. I had high expectations because of The Things You Saved in a Fire, and unfortunately this did not meet those expectations. I do recommend folx read, but know it might not be your cup of tea.


Sam is an elementary school librarian in a quaint island town in Texas. She is quirky, sweet, and trying to soak as much joy out of life. But Sam is also holding back and her struggles after beloved Kempner School principal, Max, dies, Sam is adrift. Until new principal and previous crush, Duncan, shows back up and Sam realizes she will do anything to bring the loveable, goofy Duncan of her past back.

There are many things to love here: the friendships, Sam and Alice in particular, the cute town, the representation of amazing teachers, the discussion of love, loss and grief. All of those are important and KC especially does a great job highlighting grief and the burden of losing loved ones. But, there were things I struggled with as well. I love a good romance but this felt at times super rushed. There were things unresolved (literally we never went back to some of the things Duncan said while indisposed), and many things that moved so quick. Also there was no discussion of a principal dating a teacher - like isn't that against the rules?! And, some of the romance is SUPER cheesy. Like cringe worthy. Another frustrating thing was the thread of how Sam trying to understand how Duncan changed so much and it felt like KC was trying to make it is a surprise for the reader, which it definitely is extremely predictable. So as a reader I am thinking: either KC thinks that this reveal is going to be huge (which is wasn't) or KC expects the reader to realize and Sam is just oblivious. Neither of those things I like.

Overall, I enjoyed it. I will go back and read other KC's like was always my plan, but this was a bit of a letdown.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was so excited to get an early copy of this to review! And while I loved it, there were a couple things that knocked it down a star for me. The story took me a little while to get into and while I loved the premise of the story, things were a little bit far fetched. The school honestly sounded lovely but several things (bringing a non service dog to school, bringing in a fake gun, and making crazy security upgrades) just didn't really seem plausible. I did manage to suspend that disbelief though (it's a private school so who really knows) and enjoyed the rest of the story. I like Sam as a main character. She's pretty all over the place and seems lost but I still liked her quite a bit. I also like how her and Duncan's relationship evolved though at times Sam really made things more difficult. Overall I enjoyed and would recommend this book!

From Katherine Center, the New York Times bestselling author of How to Walk Away comes a stunning new novel full of heart and hope.

Samantha Casey loves everything about her job as an elementary school librarian on the sunny, historic island of Galveston, Texas—the goofy kids, the stately Victorian building, the butterfly garden. But when the school suddenly loses its beloved principal, it turns out his replacement will be none other than Duncan Carpenter—a former, unrequited crush of Sam’s from many years before.

When Duncan shows up as her new boss, though, he’s nothing like the sweet teacher she once swooned over. He’s become stiff, and humorless, and obsessed with school safety. Now, with Duncan determined to destroy everything Sam loves about her school in the name of security—and turn it into nothing short of a prison—Sam has to stand up for everyone she cares about before the school that’s become her home is gone for good.

3.5 stars

Samantha is a librarian in a small, private elementary school in Galveston, Texas. When the school's beloved principal passes away, a new principal is brought in from the outside. Sam is quite happy when she learns that it is Duncan Carpenter, who she worked with in California. (and the reason she moved away.) She remembers him as fun-loving and a jokester, but when he arrives they find he is nothing like that. In fact, he is quite serious and worried about the school's safety and security. In doing that, he is taking away all the joy of the school--for the children, for the staff, and especially for Sam.
I love Katherine Center's books and while I enjoyed this story, it definitely wasn't my favorite. I didn't really feel the chemistry between Sam and Duncan. Plus, I didn't really enjoy any of the supporting characters. This really pains me to write as I look forward to her books and I will continue to read them!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced readers copy in exchange for my honest review.

4.5/5 stars. What You Wish For was my first Katherine Center book, and I will definitely be coming back for more. This was such a pleasant read. Because I am a teacher who dreams of being a librarian, Sam Casey was a character I could very easily relate to. I loved following her journey to self acceptance. While I could see how some people would be frustrated by Duncan, I found him to be charming. I loved how this story progressed, and I was enthralled to keep reading to see how it would turn out. It takes a lot for me to love the ending of a book, but this ending did not disappoint. I can't wait to read my next Katherine Center novel.

This book right HERE!!!!!

I loved it, I mean Katherine always writes amazing books but this one really touched my heart, its what we need during this pandemic for sure, a reason to celebrate a la Max.

So Samantha, is a librarian, in this amazing school in a small town. Everything is perfect until the principal and her mentor suddenly dies. That for me was one of the saddest moments, for Max to die the way he did. He was he mentor, and father figure together with his wife Babette, who actually run the school and their family founded the town as well.

While all this grieving is going on, a new principal is hired, and Sam was so excited to find out its someone from her past, she had a huge rude awakening once Duncan came around. But like Samantha, Duncan also struggles with things and as they start to get closer, she finds out that he has these huge fears just like her.

I loved how the community is involved in this book, how the faculty come together in such a sweet way, I love how this book is all about bringing joy even if its a little bit of joy, in your life every single day. Perfection, and also this book is told in the voice of Samantha and shes really really funny.

Thanks Netgalley, and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to real this amazing book.

What can I say? Katherine Center's books make me happy and this one is no exception.

In What You Wish For, Samantha Casey is an elementary school librarian whose life revolves around the school where she works. After fleeing her last job because of an unrequited crush on a fellow teacher named Duncan, she's made a new home in Texas and her co-workers have become like family. But when tragedy strikes, a new principal takes over and Sam not only finds herself suddenly working for the man she ran away from - he's also changed from the free-spirited educator she fell for into a fun-smothering tyrant who threatens to destroy the place that means everything to her.

Like all good romances, you know how this is going to end but the fun is how you get there and this story takes you on a truly heartwarming ride. I loved the colorful cast of characters and Center's writing makes even some far-fetched moments feel authentic. I especially love her dialogue, like the way she has Sam describe her attraction to Duncan - "You know those people? Those very rare, very special people who just play a kind of counterbeat to yours? It was like the way we talked had a rhythm, like he was the bass drum and I was the snare. He was doing his thing and I was doing mine, but the two of us together were just super danceable." I mean, who doesn't want that?

The overall message of this book is about finding joy which feels especially relevant with everything going on now. This book brought me joy and I'm sure it will do the same for you.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and the author for an advanced copy of this book to review.

There's such an uplifting quality to Katherine Center's books that warms me up from inside and keeps me smiling the rest of the day. What You Wish For is another Katherine Center masterpiece that's left me smiling and in a great mood.

What You Wish For was adorable, encouraging, uplifting, endearing...all of the things I'm looking for in a light-hearted romance that also tackles some pretty serious (and prevalent!) issues. Choosing joy is such a beautiful reminder that we can all find our silver linings amidst the chaos and sadness around us, and that we are the change that we want to see in the world. And I love the message that we don't "fix" people; we're here to support them and be there for them, just as they are there for us. Because we're all imperfect, and we're all messy, and we all have problems. But we can face them together.

And that's beautiful.

I was provided a free copy if this book by Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.
This is only my second book by Katherine Center but when I saw it available I requested it super quick because I remember loving the other one so much (How to Walk Away)! This one did not disappoint!!! I think it may have helped me get out of my reading slump! I tore through it in three days (it would have been faster but I had to work some too)!! When tragedy hits a small school with the death of their beloved founder and principal, the employees are unsure of what the next school year will entail. When they are told who the new principal will be Sam, the school librarian, reassures everyone. She knew the new guy, Duncan, at a previous school and he was a fun loving jovial guy, and also, her huge crush! However, the Duncan that shows up is not the same Duncan she knew. While Sam has blossomed in the years since they met, Duncan has become closed off and rigidly strict! Will they be able to loosen him up? Will Sam be able to get over her huge crush? Will the school she loves be turned into a prison or can it hold onto it's fun loving hominess with the new guy in charge? You will love the journey this book takes you on, navigating heartache and joy, grief and happiness, pain and the love that pulls us out of pain!
This book will be published on July 14th so definitely put it on your TBR list and get this book!!
#NetGalley #WhatYouWishFor

Katherine Center is a new-to-me author, so I wasn’t sure what to expect but the book was the perfect story to read during stressful times.

The characters had various issues from either childhood or adult situations that affected how they acted, felt and thought. The more I read, I understood why Sam struggled with self-worth for valid reasons and it was wonderful how Max had given her such wonderful advice to find the joy in life. I took that to heart for myself.

When we meet Duncan, I figured out what probably caused him to act so differently than how Sam remembered him, but it was still difficult to learn the reason.

The community, school, and close friends made for a compelling story. I fell in love with the area, the school and how much everyone wanted the best educational experiences for the children. The school sounded like a wonderland, especially the library.

Even with the painful situations that many were experiencing, this was an uplifting story and provided realistic situations. I fell in love with so many of the characters, especially Clay, the well-read 9 year-old, who could spout any number of details and stories about several topics.

I LOVED it when Duncan had to have a procedure and due to being heavily medicated, told Sam many things that she wouldn’t otherwise have known. Seeing him with his sister and her family, showed a bit of his previous personality and I was just waiting for the actual details of what he had lived through.

There were many funny, sad, poignant, and life-affirming events in the book, characters that I want to have as friends, a location that has great historical significance, and all meshed into a nice change of pace for me.

I look forward to reading more of Ms. Center’s work. I want to thank the author, publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this new work.

What you wish for

This book was sent to me from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Here it is.

I love Katherine Center and her way of making me live women’s fiction. Because if you’ve been following me for a while you’ll know that I LOVE thrillers and anything that has to do with spooky, mixers and mystery. Love and romance are a once in a while thing for me and that is where Katherines books come in.


I believe all romance books are a bit predictable. There may be a bit of a twist here and there but ultimately they end on a good note. So I can’t say that I didn’t see the ending coming. Because I did. And I still enjoyed the book because I wanted to see it play out.

I enjoyed finding out what really happened to the characters before they were introduced to us. Finding out their backstory and why they act a certain way. It left me laughing, crying and generally I felt so happy reading this story. Katherine does a great job bringing characters to life, making them human and full of emotion.

Why her books haven’t been made into movies yet is crazy.

I highly recommend this and all her other books to anyone looking for a feel good story.

At first glance, What You Wish For seems like it will be a pretty straightforward novel. Girl sees guy she used to have a crush on, but he is much different (in a bad way) than he used to be. Girl hopes to make him remember who he used to be; they live happily ever after. It's a fun story but it's not this one.

Sam is a more or less happy person (she's definitely content) but there are a few insecurities there, mostly linked to the fact that she has epilepsy and people in her past have been less than understanding about her disease and the fact that every so often she will have seizures.. And Duncan...his backstory will completely break your heart. But watching the two of them slowly reconnect is actual magic.

I'm pretty sure I've been talking about my love for Katherine Center's books since I read Happiness for Beginners three or four years ago. Every book she's released since has only made me love her more. I especially love how her books are always fun but never simple and how her writing is so beautiful that I will occasionally stop and text people sentences. (One in this book was "They were the kind of couple that made you believe in couples," which I texted to a few different friends who are ALSO in a couple that makes me believe in couples.)

Katherine Center's books just make me really happy, even as they also make me cry. Sometimes a lot.

Highly recommended.

I enjoyed this more than I expected. I don't tend to seek out romance stories, or rom-coms as a genre. I really liked the characters, the reality of school-life (though it is set in a private school, and clearly public schools face different realities, much was realistic).

I liked the build up to finding out what happened, and the healing all of the characters go through. I enjoyed the writing style as well.